I'm still a little surprised Dempster is getting the opening day start. I know he has longevity, but Garza's easily our best. Since we're trying to sign him to a long-term deal, I think keeping the ace happy would be a priority.

MESA, Ariz. -- Jeff Samardzija set school records in touchdowns, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns at Notre Dame, has played in bowl games and in front of 100,000 fans. But on Thursday, he scored a personal goal, securing a spot in the Cubs starting rotation.

The right-hander was named as the No. 3 starter, following Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. Chris Volstad and Paul Maholm round out the starting five.

"This could be right up there," said Samardzija, who has pitched primarily in relief for the Cubs since he was drafted in 2006. "It's definitely at the top because I feel I went through college and I just played. It was natural and I didn't have too many setbacks. I didn't play much freshman, sophomore year because I was 185 pounds.